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Ghosts
Ghosts are souls of sentient beings who are bound to the material world, usually by a pressing need or strong emotions held by the time of their deaths. Superstitions and beliefs Vozonid * Many Vozonid ghosts have a green hue, but they have different colours based on the kind of their deaths. ** Ghosts of drowned people or victims of natural disasters appear pale. ** Ghosts of people who have died of old age, accidents, or starvation appear white. ** Ghosts of people who have died from diseases appear pale green. ** Ghosts of people who have died from fires appear yellow and red. ** Ghosts of people who have died from poisoning, strong emotions, or murder would appear blue. ** Vengeful ghosts appear red and are wreathed in flames (symbolising their anger), regardless of how they died. * Black and red are the colours of death, so they could attract ghosts. * Ghosts are attracted to candles, especially white candles in groups, because they represent death. A red candle inverts its symbolism into celebrating birth. Ghosts avoid red candles because they weaken and purify them until they explode. After that, they either end up in court of the death god Zoval or they reincarnate. Larger red candles or torches are used to keep ghosts away. * Although most souls go to Zoval's court to be judged, there are four kinds of souls that are being barred from entering the afterlife immediately after they die: ** people who have committed great sins (such as mass murder, cannibalism, excessive desecration, destruction of a planet, genocide) ** those who die from "unnatural deaths" (natural disasters, massacres, plague outbreaks, deaths before puberty, miscarriages, and all abortions) ** those who were born with severe disabilities ** non-heterosexuals (their attractions and nature are believed to be caused by Illujankas, the dragon-devil of Chaos, to bring discord to humanity) * Therefore, their souls will haunt the Earth for a specified time, so that their sins (if they have any) will be purified over time. When their sins have been expired, they are then taken into Zoval's court to be judged. The excessive sinners will be dragged into their respective torments in Vjormoz (hell), with or without the haunting or their sentence in Zoval's court. * The souls of "unnatural deaths", people with severe disabilities, and non-heterosexuals will be reincarnated once into more "suitable" births and bodies: usually as able-bodied, heterosexual people. Reincarnation is considered to be a humiliating fate for the ghosts that undergo that process, and many ghosts fear it more than being sentenced to hell or failing to take revenge on the living. * If a non-heterosexual dies, their soul is transformed into a powerful ghost that attacks the living, especially those who had hurt them when they were alive. To prevent this, special rites were performed during the funeral to purify their soul, appease them, and stop them from becoming too powerful. Not even righteous deeds (that would instead turn them into Celestials) would spare them from that fate. ** This was why Gauvajuts sought to "cure" them and refused to kill them. On the contrary, suspected non-heterosexuals were given healthy food to prolong their lives, to prevent them from becoming vengeful ghosts if they die. ** They even avoid telling those people to die, or giving them death threats, out of fear of creating those ghosts. * However, the presence of a Celestial or a holy artifact might weaken and purify a ghost from their sins. * The ghosts of plant-based beings turn into wights after they die, protecting and looking after plants, natural formations, or small bodies of water. When that happens, the ghost becomes colourful, beautiful, and delighted (or horrified at the loss of most of their freedoms). The same applies to any wandering spirit who stays too long near plants. Siangwaan and nearby countries Their lands were the former domains of the Eastern Enclaves, a nation condemned by the Gauvajut gods for its many sins. After the last Enclaves people were killed by the First Vozonid Empire, the gods cursed their souls to wander across these lands and torment anyone who lives on them. Some of these ghosts sought vengeance against the Gauvajuts and their successors for condemning and rejecting them. Therefore, they seek to kill more people to collect their souls for their armies. When they have gathered enough souls they will wage war against Vozolaz to slaughter every inhabitants, sparing only the "deviants" from their wrath. * Every June (the month of Red Ardesch's founding, the celebrated month of the Enclaves and its benefactor), the ghosts emerge from the spirit world and attack the living. To keep them away, people set up colourful flags with sharp patterns at temples all over these lands. * At the end of the month, these flags are burned in a pile, and the people tell the ghosts, "You will never take over our country, evildoers!" * Non-heterosexuals attract the Enclaves' ghosts more often, as the ghosts wanted to make them join their wrathful army for their similar background. Due to this, they are also believed to have the ability to see the ghosts and talk to them. * This makes many people avoid non-heterosexuals out of fear of those ghosts, or even force them to take "medication" that forcibly alters their orientation. However, non-heterosexuals could stop a ghost attack by simply talking to the ghosts: and in some communities, they even select non-heterosexuals as priests or exorcists during the ghost month! * Certain political books (such as about communism, fascism, republicanism, etc.) are prohibited in those regions, as the locals believe that reading those books in those lands causes the ghosts to possess and indoctrinate the readers. * The glyrindar parade was held at the middle of June to appease or weaken the ghosts. Should one accident disrupt the parade or damage the paper statues, the ghosts would merrily intensify their attacks against the living. * People are advised not to go out at night. Daizhou * White is the colour of death, so it attracts ghosts. * July is the ghost month instead of June. * These customs are practiced to keep the ghosts away, so they cannot cause harm: ** Do not go out at night. ** Do not go swimming. ** Do not use red or white clothing, bells, or mirrors. ** Do not comb your hair at night. ** Do not leave clothing out at night. ** Stay in the path when you go out. ** Do not celebrate anything (although in Siangwaan, Independence Day is instead used to keep the ghosts away). ** Do not listen to any strange noises behind or around you. ** Do not film anything at night. ** Do not turn your head behind, or ghosts might find you. If you need to turn, turn your entire body. Porasonid * As all ethnic Porasonids were descendants of the Ontemâzei, when they die their souls become into wights that look after plants. Hybrids (people with partial Porasonid ancestry) will go to the same destinations as human souls. Category:Sentients Category:Mythology *